Invincible
by Hithilion
Summary: Burning houses and a devastated city. There is no hope and no chance. A demon roaming free. And in the middle of this chaos? Who else then Team Natsu? But what would have seemed in most cases like an emergency exit strategy was now bloody reality, a fight for life and death. Survival an uncertainty... [NaLu] [Written by Etschi] [Translated from German by Hithilion]


**Helllo community, this isn't my story, only a little translation I did, it's translated from German and the author goes by „Etschi". Translator note at the end!**

 **A/N:**

 **Hi Guys. My first Oneshot. I hope it turned out partly good. At least Schneewind (T/N: German FF writer, quite good, stories incoming, maybe, probably, we will see), which everyone here should know, said it was. She brought me to write this and was also the beta for this story. Oh yes, I also stole the description from her. Thanks a lot for that. You were my rescue ;)**

 **Disclaimer: (c) by Hiro Mashima, only borrowing his characters.**

 **Have Fun**

Invincible

The night was gently descending on the city of Magnolia and the guild Fairy Tail. Merchants, farmers, craftsman and also the majority of mages went to take their deserved rest. How much Lucy wished to lay down in her bed, even though the moron of Dragon Slayer would surely come over uninvited again, no one could imagine. She wanted to dream about romance, the great love, her success to be as a novelist or great magician. But what she was experiencing now was more like being trapped in a damned nightmare.

„That's the end", were the thoughts which went through her head. The body of the blonde celestial spirit mage lay on the floor of the battlefield. Despite her multitude of wounds and her extreme exhaustion, she tried to stand up again. She wasn't allowed to give up. That, she owed to her friends.

With heavy breathing and under great protest of her muscles, she managed another time to get back up on her feet. After her wobbly legs steadied themselves, she looked up.

The village before her eyes presented itself like an insane, post-apocalyptic scene. All the houses were destroyed and an uncountable number of fires were consuming the worldly belongings of the former inhabitants.

A noise which wasn't from this world made goose bumps explode all over her skin. It was the roar of the demon which her team was relentlessly fighting. A beast made out of black granite, or so it seemed, rose in front of her and was besieged by three mages. Sparks flashed again and again as Erza's weapons scratched over the beast's skin. Sadly, it appeared like that didn't even itch it. Gray had long since quitted starting any straightforward attacks.

He rather tried to limit its movements. But every arm and every leg he managed to freeze up, was immediately freed. Even Natsu's mightiest attacks only made the affected body part glow a little. However, he couldn't penetrate the stone at all. Lucy wasn't in possession of any Celestial Spirits that had even a wisp of a chance and Aquarius, which would have been the biggest help, couldn't be summoned because there was no water in her vicinity.

A silent sigh left her lips as she let her mind contemplate the last three days. It had been a wonderful morning and the mission had sounded so easy. Erza, Gray, Natsu and Lucy went in cheerful spirits on this adventure. That they now had to fight against one of the monstrosities of Zeref's book, no one could have foreseen that. It looked like a hopeless undertaking, but they wouldn't be mages of Fairy Tail if they gave up and just ran away. Their pride forbade that. They would prefer to die, than to live on with this humiliation.

But with time the movements of the three mages got slower and their reactions sluggish, while their opponent didn't seem to know the word tiredness. Why should he? From his perspective, he was fighting against a few insects. Annoying insects who could stab quite decent, but that was by far not enough to fell this demon.

After a massive blow from his paw, Gray and Erza were blown into one of the houses, which then collapsed over them and buried them under tons of debris. Both Lucy and Natsu shouted their names! The latter couldn't even rush to their rescue, as another blow followed, which he had to dodge. So Lucy made her way over to her buried teammates. She was slow and before she had made half the way over, she saw the debris move and Erza climbing out. Gray too, made his way out of the remains of this once beautiful home, only to brake powerless down.

„Erza, that thing is too strong! We can't destroy it!"

Entranced by the fight between Natsu and the demon, she only nodded.

„Give me ten minutes to collect me. Then I will seal it for all eternity:"

Erzas head snapped back and a serious gaze bore itself into the ice mage.

„You want to use Iced Shell? You know that you will die when you use that."

His short nod lets her sigh. „I won't let you…"

Before the redhead could finish her sentence there was a yell from Natus and a terrified scream from Lucy. Erza and Gray glanced to the fight and saw Natus lying before the demon. He was trying to get back up, but was rammed with a mighty stomp into the ground.

Frozen from fear, no one rushed to help the Dragon Slayer and so he had to take another stomp, which let the earth tremble. Tears were running over Lucy's cheek while she was holding her hand in front of her mouth. Gray was just sitting there, shocked and Erza's breath was taken away.

All three of them knew that even Natsu couldn't stand back up from this. Maybe when he was in his best condition, but not tired, lying on the ground and completely helpless. Even if he somehow survived the first stomp, thanks to his extreme stubbornness, the second one was too much, even for the famous Salamander from Fairy Tail.

An enraged scream broke the silence. Erza ran to the colossus. Immeasurable rage and hate blazed in her eyes. She wanted to destroy something and this something was right in front of her.

Once again, there flew sparks as her sword scratched over the stone and a swear as well as a requip later, there was a giant Warhammer battering the boulder.

Lucy had managed to reach Gray and let herself down on a stone. The shock seeped deep into her bones and Gray too, had a desperate expression on his face.

Had they really lost Natsu? That couldn't be. The idiot was too stubborn to just die.

The ice mage tightened himself and lifted his mangled body up. He limped past Lucy with a numb gaze and made his way over to the battlefield. Apparently his right leg was sprained and every time he strained it, he had to clench his teeth. He wasn't even feeling it, compared to the things going on around them…

They had lost the Idiot. A loss that wasn't necessary if he would have just made his decision earlier. A stone he moved past crumbled into pieces. „Erza keep it up. It's nearly over. Hopefully she will manage till I am close enough. Blasted leg."

Lucy looked sharply up as she saw Gray move past her. His serious expression gave her a very bad feeling, but she couldn't form a complete thought. Time after time the picture of Natsu lying on the ground appeared before her inner eye and her tears just wouldn't stop.

Only a strange but familiar noise lets her look up. Not far away from her the ground was cracking up, till a big hole formed. „This…"

Before she could express her astonishment, Virgo climbed out with Natus under her arm.

„Good day princess, I deliver your prince." Lucy wasn't going to acknowledge the sentence, instead she jumped and hugged both of them.

„Thank you, thank you, thank you Virgo and that even after you fought so hard before. How can I make this up to you?"

„Do you want to punish me Princess?"

A loud sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head energetically.

„Please let him down here and take a rest. I will look after him."

„Like you wish, princess", were her last words and after putting Natus as comfortable as possible down, she disappeared back to the spirit world.

Lucy fell beside him and embraced him tightly. Anew there were tears welling up in her eyes, while his breath was flat and erratic. She feared that she could lose him at any moment. As he was trampled, she had the slightest hope that someone would save him and luckily at the end it happened like that. But if she lost him know, in her arms, it would break her. So Lucy stroke over the cheek of her unconscious teammate, after which she whispered something to him. Her voice broke frequently, but she poured out her heart to him and at the end her lips even touched softly his. She turned away and stood decisive up. She couldn't do much here, but Erza and Gray would need her support.

As she stood with her back to Natsu, she didn't see the loving smile blooming on his face, only to then contort to an angry grimace.

A violent pain shot through Natsu's body, before he was engulfed in darkness. His magic was completely spent and therefore also his life force. Only a little spark held him from falling into the abyss of nothingness. He clasped that spark with all his might, he didn't want to go yet. Igneel. He hadn't found him yet and who the hell should defend that strange celestial mage. She always got herself into problems, who should save her when not him? She was his and only his. He would let someone else come near her, she would stay forever on his side.

Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Hearfilia were a Team and he wouldn't let someone come in between.

Let alone something as ridiculous as death. But first he had to get out of this dark pit, which was easier said than done. If he could at least see the exit or something at all. But there was no light and he couldn't use magic, he had no other option but to walk in some direction.

After wandering around some time, his fine nose smelled something. It smelled like this big ghost, the one which could transform into a gorilla and dig out holes. Though the smell came from the other direction, after a brief shrug, Natsu turned around and went in the direction of the scent.

Shortly afterwards he picked up another scent, which let him grin wide. It was Lucy's, now he was sure that he took the right path. But something irritated him. She smelled of tears. Was she crying?

„Which bastard was making her cry?", rage was building up inside of him, his hands clenched into fists and that little spark of life force became a little candle.

„Natsu, hang on. You are not allowed to go yet." It was her voice. He could hear the concern and understood that she was crying because of him. He clenched his fists even harder together and the little candle became a torch.

„I am concerned about Gray. I think he wants to use this one magic, to freeze the demon. You know which…, the one his teacher used to destroy Deliora." At the end her voice was breaking down.

„Whaaaat?", Natsu's voice was echoing through the darkness. Gray this idiot. „How often have I told him, that he shouldn't do such stupid things? How often have I told him, that he should live? Damn it all! This Icecube is completely annoying!"

Natsu was exasperated, he would like nothing more than to kick that frostbite into his ass and his torch became a blazing fire.

„I will try to stop him", again her voice. „But if I fail…", she cut off again. „You should know, that without Fairy Tail, no …", she was silent again. „without you, I couldn't imagine living on."

The words went deep into the young man, where they touched his heart and suddenly he felt something unbelievable soft on his lips. Only a short moment, but he knew what it was. She had kissed him.

A warm shiver went down his back. Together with her words, he knew what she wanted to tell him. His heart made a jump. But as the picture of a wrecked Lucy came into his mind, something shattered inside of him. It wasn't his heart, nor was it his soul, it was a wall. A wall, which held the monster at bay. A monster which could destroy anything. The blazing torch became an inferno!

„Erza! Go back, I will finish this now!", Gray shouted, who was moving into position and starting to concentrate. His magical force was building up and he looked decisive at the demon. „Ice Make…"

„Wait!" The sound of Lucy's voice startled him.

„What is it?", he snapped at her.

„Stop it, there has to be another way."

„But there is none and now let me do it."

„No, we can retreat and get reinforcements."

„Run away? Like cowards? Never!"

„God dammit Gray! You guys and your pride. We will do this without a problem, together with Mira, Elfman, Luxos and his trio." She did want to sound hopeful but her voice wavered.

„Do you believe this thing will wait here?" His sharp voice made her wince. „If we don't stop it now, a lot of innocent people will die. I won't let that happen and now move out of my way!"

Lucy kept quiet, looking at the ground. She bit her bottom lip and didn't know what to say.

Completely captivated by their argument, they didn't notice how the demon had taken Lucy as his target.

„Lucy watch out", Erza cried out and only then did the blonde woman realise that a gigantic fist was coming straight at her. She wanted to run away but tripped over a stone and fell down. As she was getting up a stabbing pain shoot through her leg, which let her groan and then break down again.

She looked, trembling over her shoulder and screamed anxiously. She had no chance of escaping and so she raised, out of instinct, her arms defensively in front of herself, even though they wouldn't provide much protection. Gray was concentrating. He had to freeze the whole thing, before the blow hit Lucy.

If he blocked only this attack, he wouldn't have enough energy left to destroy the whole thing afterwards. „Dammit, I have too little time, but I have to just do it! Ice Make She…"

A tremendous roar, which didn't come from the demon, startled Gray and let his magic dissolve.

Before the Ice Mage could realize what had roared , the earth trembled from the force of the coming strike.

Lucy's eyes were closed and she awaited the pain, which her broken body would inflict on her. She waited and waited and waited. But nothing happened. Only that the light, that fell through her closed eyelids, got brighter. Was she in heaven? But she hadn't felt anything at all. No, she couldn't be dead. The painful injuries, which were all over her body, proofed to her that she lived. Was Gray successful and saved her at the last moment? But why was there this light?

Hesitating, she opened her eyes, only for her breathing to pause. In front of her was standing something that she couldn't allocate on first sight. From the stature it was clearly a human, or more specifically a man, but the legs as well as the naked back were covered by red scales. After blinking a few times, she realized what was standing in front of her and her heart skipped a beat.

Natus's face was distorted from rage. He blocked the strike from the demon with his hand. Blazing red-golden flames were rising on his body. His whole body was covered by scales except for this face. The scales were gleaming in the light of the flames and he looked like a dragon in human form, only that his nature was wilder and merciless. Erza went over to Gray, who didn't know how to react. Should he laugh, cry or just be stunned. She laid a hand on his shoulder, the same perplexity on her face. For a short moment it looked like she would return alone from the mission. Everything had changed in a few short seconds. She had heard Natus's roar, but she couldn't follow his speed. Especially since she didn't know from where he appeared and why he had taken on this form.

His appearance was terrifying. Already at the Tower of Heaven against Gerard he had shown her what his true might could be. She couldn't have guessed that back then the power he showed her was only a fraction. Even she, the Titania, would like to encounter this Natus. After pushing the demon back, Natsu shaped two gigantic hands out of flames which held the demon in an unescapable purgatory.

All the struggling was useless, the demon was ensnared. Sadly, it looked like the flames still couldn't do anything to the black granite from which the demon was composed. And Natsu couldn't keep doing this forever.

„Erza, go get Lucy and take her to safety. Gray, you three will need the magical Ice-Shield you can make. In a few moments this place will become hell", Natus growled. His voice was rougher and deeper , resembling more a beats then a human.

„O..Okay", stuttered the redhead, which was still shocked from the appearance of her comrade. She went to the blonde and took her back to Gray.

„Farther back", ordered Natsu. He waited till they had enough distance to him and Gray had gathered enough magical power for his shield. With a diabolical smile he turned his attention back to his prisoner. Once again the picture of Lucy lying on the ground came to his mind.

„For. That. You. Will. Pay. I will only leave your ashes." The demon had angered Natsu, this anger was now channeled into his magic.

The other three mages were flabbergasted, when the color of Natus's flames changed color.

First, they got brighter and the yellow portion increased, then came blue elements into the flames and finally they shone white. After only a short period, the heat had become unbearable. They understood why Natsu had sent them back. They would have gotten incinerated if they stood only a little bit closer and even know they were happy for having Gray's shield. Even with her Flame Empress Armor, Erza wouldn't have been able to endure the flames more than a few seconds.

Under Natsu's flames the Granit body of the demon began to break apart, only to then slowly melt. Even though it took what felt like an eternity and the roaring, which turned to cries, till it finally turned silent, was unbearable, Natsu kept his promise. After dissolving his magic, there wasn't anything left from the demon other than a little pile of ashes. This was blown in all directions by the wind. After taking a deep breath and cooling a little down, Natus returned to his friends, which went a little further back to escape and save themselves from the heat. Completely spent he sat down on the remains of a house and started to speak quietly.

„Hey guys, I am finally done", said the Dragon Slayer, which let the three flinch.

Frowning, he looked at his friends. They weren't normal that jumpy. „Well what is it? It ended all good." His famous smile spread over his face and exposed his sharp canines.

„Well it was quite heavy, what you did there", said Gray.

„What? I had to do something and it was better than your idea, Freezbrain."

Before he could say something Lucy went in between.

„You had us quite scarred there."

„Right you have to say that", he said, and looked at her sadly.

Never scare me again like that, do you understand?"

„Only if you do the same", was her snippy answer, before she flung herself around his neck.

„You don't know how awful it was, when you were lying there on the ground and to watch this thing stomp on you."

„I am sorry, but now everything is alright."

He hardly spoke these words before his complete body relaxed. The beast retreated and with it the scales all over his body. But unlike the last time, they could come back at any time when needed. The Wall was broken. Exhausted Natsu slumped into Luys arms and returned to the darkness. But this time he welcomed the shadows and his mind like old friends. His friends and Lucy were safe. He could finally rest. Everything was fine.

 **T/N:**

 **First of all, yes, I got the permission from the author to translate this work. I hope you liked my little translation and of course the story itself as a whole. I tried to translate this word for word, but realised that a lot is lost this way and decided in the middle to take some liberties here and there. Still staying true to the original meaning, but wording it another way. I think I learned (or rather remembered) a lot while translating this.**

 **This was one of the first stories I read when i discovered FanFiction back in 2013. The reason I started this was primarily to get better in English and generally better at translating. Secondly, to bring some good FanFiction from the German to the English community. So, I would like you to inform me about all mistakes I overlooked and any other grammar related advice you could give me. And I think the author would love to read some comments about the story.**

 **Like always I underestimated the work behind this and though I choose a relatively short story, the translation took more time than I thought. So I am quite unsure if there will follow any more stories. We will see how life goes, I still hope to find the opportunity, time and motivation to translate some of the German masterpieces. (Or what I thought at that time were masterpieces, time and thus experience change everything...) Well, I could write a lot more, but I am quite lazy so this is it for now. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.**

 **Will also be posted on „Archive of our own".**

 **Original story published 26.10.2013**

 **Original story under: /u/Etschi**


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